Confessions of a "Spruce-aholic"

 

A few years ago, a cute chic-flick called "Confessions of a Shopaholic" came out about a girl who was addicted to shopping.  The movie told of some of her antics of not being able to resist a bargain, whether she needed the item or not, and the woes that ensued upon her because of her addiction.  

 

Well, I may not be addicted to shopping, but I must admit (admission is the first step of recovery, right?) that I am addicted to sprucing up my house. There, I said it!  And like the girl in the movie, who shopped not out of need, but purely out of desire, I too find that I cannot resist the urge to "spruce" up my home.  It's just so gratifying to me.  Making my home a cozy, warm environment for my family brings me great joy.   

 

One of my more recent projects has been my living room.  My goal has been to lighten and brighten the space, while still keeping it warm and inviting.

 

 

 

One of the first things I did, was paint the coffee table with white chalk paint.  (You can find my post telling of how to mix your own chalk paint and the process I used on my coffee table in one of my previous posts).

 

Next was to update some of the pillows, lamps and artwork.  I reworked an old picture and turned it into a chalkboard by painting chalkboard paint onto the glass.  Voila!  Instant art!  I also ordered this awesome pallet sign from my favorite artist, Jo Schultz.  You can find more of her work on her Facebook page, "White Hen".

 

I also painted the arms and legs of this little side chair with white chalk paint and distressed it.

 

I switched out my leather love seat for 2 white slipcovered chairs from Ikea.

 

And lastly, I lightened the space with a new rug.

 

 

Here are "before" pictures. 

 

The picture below is right after we moved into the house in 2010.  It was a foreclosure, so a bit of work had to happen, including building a mantle for the fireplace.  Who takes a mantle with them when they move???

 

This is after we added the mantle, painted, etc. 

 

Another thing we did to the space was put in a small door to the right of the fireplace where a window had been.  Easier access to our back yard, and it brings in so much more light.

 

 

And this is the room today.  I won't say it is the finished project.  Is there ever a finished project for a "spruce-aholic"?  I think not!  (And neither does my hubby).